Today in class, Mr. Feeny went up the front of the classroom. "I have graded your book reports from last Friday." I glance at Cory who was now wearing a clown nose. "And after I pass them out, we'll discuss them." As Cory made goofy faces, me and Shawn tried to hold back our laughs and Mr. Feeny caught on. "Ah, Mr. Matthews." Cory turned to Mr. Feeny with a nervous smile. "Shall I express my usual disappointment or just ask you to guide my sleigh tonight?" 

"Uh, wrong holiday, Mr. Feeny," Cory said, removing the nose. "See, Halloween's coming up and I was just test driving my clown nose."

"Then I insist you stay in the driver's seat. Put the nose back on for the rest of the morning," he told Cory before going over to me, giving me back my paper. "Ms. Cooper, well done." I got a B+. "Mr .Minkus, excellent work as usual. I particularly enjoyed your haiku on Captain Ahab's obsession with the great white whale."

"'The calm blue ocean'," Minkus began to recite. "'Sun lights up the monster's eye. He sees me whale food'."

"It works on so many levels," Mr. Feeny said.

"Brown-noser," Shawn said to Minkus.

"Troglodyte," Minkus replied.

I snicker while Shawn looks to me in confusion. "He called you ignorant." 

I think that if it wasn't for me loving sports or Cory and Shawn being my friends since the beginning, I would be classified as a nerd or weirdo.

Mr. Feeny handed out everyone's reports. "Mr. Lewis, very good work. Mr.Matthews, not one of your better efforts. Mr. Hunter."

Cory stopped Mr. Feeny. "Hey, this isn't fair. Rick and I both got C's. How come you tell him he did good work and you tell me it wasn't one of my better efforts?"

"Would Bozo please come to the center ring?" Mr. Feeny asked causing Cory to walk forward. "Mr.Lewis worked very hard to get his C and I respect him for that. You, on the other hand, waste your efforts on being the class clown."

"How come you always pick on me, Mr. Feeny? How come you never pick on Minkus?" Cory questioned.

"Have you taken a blow to the head, Mr.Matthews? Stuart Minkus gets nothing but As. If there was a letter before 'A,' he would get that."

"I guess that's why he gets away with so much."

"And just what does he get away with?"

Well, how come when I make paper airplanes I get detention, and he doesn't?" Cory asked, picking up his paper airplane.

I clear my throat. "Cory." 

He look to me and I motion to Minkus who was working on a more advanced advanced airplane. "I Withdraw the question," Cory told our teacher.

***

Later, I went to art class with Shawn. Our assignment was to paint a door you see lead to your future.

I painted mine with a lot of detail to what I saw in my future.

Mrs. Engles looked over my shoulder. "Wow, Betty. Your artwork is outstanding."

"Thank you," I reply.

"Have you ever considered a career in painting?" I shook my head. "You should absolutely consider it." She went around everyone else's painting before saying she would lave to get more paint cans.

Shawn leaned over in his seat, looking at my painting. "That is a really nice painting, Betty."

"Thanks," I tell him.

"Hey, you got paint of you by the way."

I look away from my work. "What? Where?"

"Right..." he dipped his paintbrush into some blue paint and before I could process what he was doing, he dragged the colored brush along my jaw and chin. "There."

I smirk. "Oh, there," I say while dipping my brush in red. "But look at you, you have a mess all on your cheek." 

He started to back away. "No, Betty-"

I was fast though and basically colored his cheek bright crimson. I smirk. "Don't start something unless you finish it."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right, Betty," Shawn said, standing up with his paint bottle and his paintbrush dipped inside. "So I'm finishing this." Next thing I know he flicked his brush at me causing more paint to splatter my face.

I look to the other kids who were watching us. "You might wanna back away or run," I tell them. A few backed into the corner of the class while the others ran out. I stand up, picking up a paint roller that was resting in some green paint. "Big mistake, Shawny."

Then I basically painted the left side of his face in one roll. That's when terror broke out.

Shawn and I were dumping paint on one another, starting off with using our small bottles of paint, and then turning to the large cans of paint.

Mrs. Engles finally came back in with paint. "Hey, hey, hey," she called causing us to break apart. "What on Earth are two doing?"

"Having a paint fight," I admit.

She sighed. "Shawn, Betty, you both have detention, now clean yourselves up."

***

After I scrubbed the paint off me, my clothes were still dirtied with large paint stains since Mom couldn't bring me any clothes. Shawn got clean though and got a pair of clean clothes, thanks to his sister bringing them to him.

Me and Shawn waited for Cory outside of Mr. Feeny's once our detention was over.

"Why so sour, Betts?" Shawn asked.

"Oh, I don't know," I reply with sarcasm dripping from my tone. "Probably because you got me detention...in art. I've never got detention in there."

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Hey, I'm your best friend. I get you to try new things, like getting detention in art."

I roll my eyes, pulling his arm off of me as Cory came out and noticed us. "You guys waited for me?"

Shawn scoffed. "Are we not your best friends?"

"You had detention, too, didn't you?" Cory asked.

"Yep," I spoke up. "I did too."

"That's shocking, coming from Betty Cooper."

"Oh, yeah," Shawn said. "Mrs. Engles nailed us."

"How'd you guys get detention in art?"

"Well, that's what makes me one of the greats."

"We got in a huge paint fight, hence my clothes," I say, motioning down to my now multi-colored shirt.

"Hey," Shawn said, picking a paper out of a trashcan. "Check this out, answers to a test."

"Shawn. We can't be looking at test answers. That's major cheating, detention for life," Cory said.

"I agree with Cory, Shawn. It's like after school prison," I tell my friend.

"No, these aren't for a real test," Shawn said. "They're for that stupid IQ exam we're taking tomorrow."

He crumpled up the paper, shooting for the trashcan only for Cory to catch it. I go up to him, grabbing the paper. "Cory, it's pointless. Toss it."

"Wait a minute, Betty," he stopped me, taking the paper back. "Let me take a look at this." He opened up the paper. "Wow. The person who knows these answers gets a perfect score."

"On a test that doesn't even count for a grade," Shawn said.

"Yeah. Why bother?" I ask. 

"Are you kidding?" Cory said. "This is my one ticket to get Feeny off my back. If Feeny thinks I'm a genius he'll treat me just as good as he treats Minkus."

"Cory, do I need to remind you that you just gave Shawn a speech about cheating?" I voice.

"I don't remember that," he said.

"Hey, Cory," Shawn spoke up. "Do yourself a favor. Crumple the paper up, throw it away in the trash. Don't complicate your life."

"You know, that makes a lot of sense and if I was a smarter person, I'd probably listen to you guys except I'm not a smarter person But tomorrow, I'm going to be a genius."

"Let me just say, so many bad things are going to happen because of this," I tell the two boys.

***

A few days after we took the IQ test, Mr. Feeny brought it up again. "I have in my hands the results of Tuesday's IQ test and one person here deserves special mention." I look to Cory. "This person achieved not only the highest score in the class not only the highest score in the school but a score so high as to give rise to the question "'Is there, in fact, a ceiling on human intelligence?'" 

"Please, Mr. Feeny, you're embarrassing me," Minkus gushed.

"Mr .Minkus, you came in second."

Minkus's expression was priceless. "Second?"

"Uh-huh."

"As in the context of not first? Someone scored higher than I did on the IQ test?" 

"Blew you out of the academic water. Someone sitting in this very classroom is a junior Kierkegaard," Mr. Feeny said, approaching Cory.

"A what?" I question.

"A great mind, Ms. Cooper," my teacher told me. "Just like Mr. Matthews."He looked to Cory. "I have clearly underrated you, and I bow to your genius." Mr. Feeny clapped as did the class, but mine and Shawn's were slow. "Bravo."

Cory stood up. "It's no big thing, Mr. Feeny."

"On the contrary, Mr.Matthews, it is a big thing.It is a very big thing," Mr. Feeny told him before walking away.

Cory looked to me and Shawn. "Uh-oh."

***

After school, Cory dragged me and Shawn to his house. We walked past Mrs. Matthews, Eric and Morgan.

"Oh, hi-"

"Can't talk, mom, lot of homework," Cory spilled out, running upstairs. "Got to go."

Shawn followed after him. "Yeah. What he said."

"Hi, Matthews. Hi Eric-" Shawn ran over grabbing my hand and pulling me upstairs. "Hey!"

Once we were in Cory's room, Shawn finally let go of my hand. "Feeny knows. Somehow he knows, and he's going to get me." 

"I told you so," I say.

"You're wrong," Shawn stated.

"You think he's just sending a thank you note to my parents?" Cory freaked. "'Thank you for bringing up your son. He's a genius. He's smarter than Captain Kirkaguard'."  Shawn got up from Cory's bed, ripping the envelope open. "What are you doing?" Cory continued. "That's a sealed envelope addressed to my parents. Now they're going to know I opened it."

"Corey, do your parents ever write letters to anyone?" Shawn asked. 

"Yeah."

"And when they do, what do they put the letters in?" 

"Envelopes." Cory began to smirk. "Just like this one."

"So we could read the note."

"And seal it back up-" I speak up. 

"In a new white envelope," Cory finished. "Ha! I love how we think."

Shawn took the letter out, sitting back on the bed while I read over his shoulder. "What's it say?" Cory asked.

"The letter wasn't a big deal, but Shawn made sure to seem like it was. "Uh-oh. He's bringing in the S.E.A."

"What?"

"The State Education Authority."

I wanted to join in. "Oh no, Cory," I fake gasp. "They have special field agents who handle intelligence fraud."

"I'm cooked!"Cory exclaimed. "I'm cooked, Betty! For the first time in my life, I'm in real trouble."

"Not if we're making all this up," Shawn told him.

"Are you?" 

"No."

"I'm cooked!"

I roll my eyes. "Relax. Of course we're making it up. He just wants to talk to your parents."

"What if he tells them he doesn't think I'm a genius?"

Shawn stood up. "Who cares if Feeny doesn't think you're brilliant? As long as the test says so."

"But I'm not, and my parents know I'm not."

"Then you'll have to make them think you are."

"How do I do that?"

"Get with the program, Cory. It's Halloween, and this year you're going as a genius."

***

At school-

"Guys, this whole thing is getting out of hand," Cory told me and Shawn since we were sitting on top of our desks.

"I told you so," I sigh only to have Shawn nudge me.

"Relax. Everybody thinks you're brilliant. You should enjoy it," Shawn stated.

"When it was just Feeny, I could enjoy it. But now my parents are involved, and I don't like lying to them," Cory said. 

"You don't?" me and Shawn asked, but my tone was more sarcastic.

"No."

"'Cause it gives me a little rush," Shawn answered. "Besides, you didn't tell them you were a genius, Feeny did..."

"And I didn't tell Feeny I'm a genius..."

"The test did. And you didn't ask to take the test..."

"They gave it to me..."

"And you wouldn't have even seen the answers..."

"If they didn't give us..."

 "Detention."

We're innocent victims," Cory said.

"Nothing we do is actually our fault," Shawn said causing me to roll my eyes. "It's good to be kids."

Minkus came up to Cory. "I don't get it."

"What?" Cory questioned.

"If you're smarter than I am how come you're always trying to copy from my paper?" 

"Uh..." Cory trailed off, looking to me for an answer, but I just slide off my desk, sitting in my seat.

"Leave me out of this," I say.

Shawn got up from his desk. "He's not copying, Minkus. He's just glancing over to admire the work of a fellow genius."

"You are?" Minkus asked.

"He is."

"I am," Cory added.

"Oh, well, that's okay," Minkus said. "In fact, from now on I'll kind of tip my test papers up so you can admire the answers even easier."

"Would you do that?"

"No," Minkus told him, walking back to his desk.

Shawn chuckled. "Genius envy."

The bell rang having our class sit in their desks as Mr. Feeny came in with another teacher. "Class, this is Miss Chin. She'll be with you for the first half hour while I have a word with Mr. Matthews."

Cory got up slowly, leaning towards me and Shawn. "Tell my mom I went out like a man," he whispered before walking out of the room with our teacher.

***

After school, I went home only to have Cory call me to meet him and Shawn at his house for an emergency.

Shawn and I enter Cory's room.

"Okay, we're here," Shawn said. "What's the big emergency?"

"Uh-oh," I say, hiding behind Shawn when I saw Cory pull out a toy gun and tried shoot us. I gripped the back of Shawn's jacket, using him as a shield as he backed away from our curly haired friend, but at the same time, trying to pull me away from him by grabbing my hands, but I kept a fistful tight.

"Betty!" he firstly yelled then, "Hey! What are you trying to do, kill us?"

Cory dropped the gun. "Kill you? I'll tell you about killed. How about what you guys did to me?"

"What'd I do?" Shawn and I asked, sharing a look before looking at Cory.

"Where are you spending your next recess Playground, shooting hoops, playing ball, riding your skateboard?"

"So?" I ask.

"So let me tell you what I'm doing. I'm searching for Bobby Fischer!"

"What are you talking about?" Shawn asked.

"Geniuses go to a special school. Did you know that? You killed me. I'm going to be in a class full of Minkuses. Wait a minute.What am I talking about? These kids make Minkus look like Fabio."

"A mean person would say 'I told you so',  Cor." I pause for a moment. "I told you so, Cory Matthews!"

"You're not helping, Betty!"

"Wait a minute," Shawn cut in. "They're putting you in another school?" 

Yes. The lady is going to be here in a half an hour and they're going to give me another genius test and then they're going to take me away. So I just called you guys up to say good-bye. Or as geniuses say, good-bye in Latin," Cory said, sitting on his bed.

"Hey, idiot," Shawn called.

"What?"  

"Are you a genius?"

"No."

"Do you have the answers to this test?" 

"No."

"Oh..." I say, realizing what conclusion Shawn was coming to.

"You kind of see where I'm going with this?" Shawn asked Cory.

"You want me to throw the test?" Cory questioned.

"Oh, no, no. I want you to take the test to the best of your ability," Shawn said, now dragging me out the door. "And no guessing. I wouldn't want you to stumble onto a right answer."

"Good luck, Cory," I tell him before me and Shawn left.

***

Cory took the test, his parents only grounded him for two weeks which wasn't bad since we'd still get to go trick or treating together and that time finally arrived.

I chose a last minute costume which was the Bride of Frankenstein. 

Me, Shawn, Cory and a boy that is a year younger that goes to our school, Mikey went around the neighborhood. Until we went back to Cory's house where Mr. Feeny was standing near the door.

"Trick or treat!" the four of us said. 

"The candy's on its way," Mr. Feeny told us.

"Hey, aren't you that Feeny guy from school?" Cory questioned in a squeaky voice. 

"I'm Mr.Feeny, yes," my teacher answered. 

"My brother's friend Cory Matthews said I'm going to have you for a teacher next year. He said you're the best teacher in the whole school," Mikey told him.

Mr. Feeny sighed. "Oh, please, Mr. Matthews. I wasn't born yesterday-" he cut himself off, pulling up Mikey's mask. "I'm terribly sorry." He pulled down Mikey's mask. "Happy Halloween. Here, have a ruler." He dropped a ruler in Mikey's pillowcase. "Have all the rulers."

Mrs. Matthews came out of the kitchen. "George."

"Yes?"

"There's plenty of candy here in the kitchen."

He nodded to us saying, "Thank you." Before rushing into the kitchen.

I let out a laugh once he was gone out of sight. I pull off my Bride mask just as Shawn pulled off his Frankenstein mask (A/N: see what I did there 😉) and Cory and Mikey pull off theirs.

"And they say I'm not a genius," Cory laughed.

"Nice one, Cor," I compliment.

***

Hi!

This chapter came out a lot later than I expected, but I hope you enjoyed the Bawn moments and there will be more in the upcoming chapters.